Chased

The faster I ran the faster he would as he kept gaining on me. Nobody was around. It was close to two in the morning. I was in my bare feet because as I had kicked off my heels a couple of blocks back, still clutching them in one hand. The soles of my feet felt raw and every time my feet set down a piercing pain ran up my legs. I could not keep this pace up much longer. He was a large man and as he grew closer, I could hear him gasping harder as he closed the gap between us even more. He was running on brute strength and the will to catch me.

I thought if I could reach the tree line up ahead where I could lose him more easily. I knew the area well and hoped he did not. I gave my last burst of energy and reached the start of the bush that led to the park, running into the darkness of the trees. Many different trails branched off in all directions. If I could just get a head start on him, I could lose him in the maze of trees. That was the ideas in my addled brain from one too many glasses of wine with friends earlier.

He was slowing as I entered my first trail and quickly headed into a blackness of trees. I could hear him breathing heavily as he passed within inches of where I stood holding my breath. He was muttering to himself that he would find me and when he did, I would pay for him having to chase me. I could see him pick up a large stick as he started to thrash the bushes around him. He was getting angrier with each step. The only thing I had was my stiletto heels for protection.

He went about a hundred yards ahead of where I was and then started coming back towards me. Pausing often to listen. Had he heard me breathing? I was very still, behind a small tree, not moving a muscle as he came closer towards me. I started to wonder if he could see my body protruding from one side of the tree. He passed again within inches and went towards the trail to my right. I hoped he thought I had gone that way. I was afraid to turn on my phone as I always had the volume turned on high and he would hear it crackling.

I shifted my weight off my foot that was throbbing, making the smallest sound. He turned back, listening. He had heard something and started walking slower.  A mouse skittered towards his direction and he must be thinking that was what he heard and kept moving away. If only he would keep going, so I could move. Mosquitoes where starting to feed at my legs.

His movements were fading. Slowly moving one foot at a time towards the trail I took off as quietly as possible. Not silent enough I could hear him running back, heading in my direction fast. I heard a loud crack of a tree falling, crashing to the ground then swearing, loud moans vibrating through the trees, he sounded like he was in a lot of pain.

I stopped and hid again behind a bigger tree and listened, was he faking it and creeping up to find me? Slowly and as quiet as possible I went towards his moaning. There he was, blood dripping onto the ground a large dead tree had fallen and pinned him under it, he lay at an odd angle and was wreathing in pain. One eye closed shut and the blood and bruising looking a hideous black. It would take a bulldozer to get him out from under the tree trunk. He was not going to be chasing anyone soon.

I approached and now saw fear in his eyes. I stared down into his distorted face with a smile spreading on my own. Without help, he was going to die a slow miserable death. I turned and walked away.  All I heard was a feeble cry for help.

Then silence.

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Second scenario 

I crept silently back to see what had happened to the monster that had chased me. He lay face down beside a rock with blood running down from his head, it covered one eye, which was swollen shut, and his leg was bent at an odd angle, pinned under the tree. It was broken for sure. He heard me approach and looked at me through his one good eye. His face now showed fear as I neared and kicked hard with the flat of my heel right between his legs. I was furious with him for the fear he had caused me! He howled and tried to grab at me as I brought down my stiletto, hitting him on his head and neck repeatedly. The rubber tip had broken off. I hit an artery and the blood spurted onto the rock and ground. I backed away as his heart pumped out his lifeblood. His body shook and then he lay lifeless.

He would not be bothering anyone else again.

Lesson learned, I would never leave home without my gun again.

But weapons are where you find them.